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When Trauma Goes Untreated….

August 1, 2017

By Clara Reynolds, President & CEO

Prior to my arrival at the Crisis Center two years ago, I spent 20 years in the children’s mental health system as a clinical social worker. During my tenure as a child protective investigator, school social worker and an executive director, I worked with children and their families who were struggling from the aftermath of trauma. I learned that trauma takes a toll on people and when it is not effectively treated, it can have negative, long-term consequences on the life of the trauma victim.

I’ll never forget 11-year-old Michael, who I met in 1995. He was being held at a Manatee County juvenile justice facility for repeated car thefts. As I got to know Michael, I learned about his trauma. He started getting into trouble when he joined a neighborhood gang at age 9 – as a way to protect himself from his stepfather who had been sexually abusing him since age 6. Michael described the nightmares that plagued him in his sleep and the depression and emotional numbness that persisted during the day. Michael was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and needed very specialized trauma-focused therapy to recover from his sexual abuse. In 1995, however, trauma therapy was relatively new and difficult to find.

I was drawn to the Crisis Center, in part, because of the organization’s work with trauma survivors. The Crisis Center is one of the premier trauma informed providers in our community. Starting with a 2-1-1 phone call to the Gateway, people suffering from trauma receive services and supports from Intervention Specialists trained in trauma informed care. At the Corbett Trauma Center, trauma survivors receive intensive, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in our Trauma Counseling Center. Survivors of sexual assault have both nursing and advocate services provided within a trauma informed environment through our Sexual Assault Services program. These trauma-focused interventions have been proven to work which is why we are so proud to be the place where anyone in our community can find help, hope and healing during a crisis or trauma.

The Crisis Center is able to provide trauma informed care and trauma-focused therapy because of generous community support from amazing people like YOU!!!! Your investment in the Crisis Center makes everything we do possible!!!! Thank YOU!

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